Mike Lowell Rumors

7:51pm: Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald says that if the Red Sox are interested, they figure to sign Delgado fairly soon. Delgado's agent David Sloane told Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe that his client could sign "as soon as tonight," but that he'd need a week or two in the minors to get himself ready (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, WEEI.com's Alex Speier heard from a source that the Sox were simply "doing their homework" by working Delgado out today.

FRIDAY, 3:02pm: Delgado worked out for the Red Sox today, agent David Sloane told Mark Hale of the New York Post. Sloane says Delgado has worked out for multiple clubs.

THURSDAY, 7:06PM: Daric Barton could be another possible pick-up for the Sox, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets that the Oakland first baseman was put on waivers today. Barton's .377 OBP fits right in with Boston's patient plate mentality, though he only has a .741 OPS against right-handers.

6:17PM: Two sources tell WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that Delgado "seems a reach" for Boston and that "he is worth a dice roll, but not for the Sox" given both Delgado and Lowell's lengthy injury histories.

5:56PM: With the news of Kevin Youkilis' season-ending thumb surgery breaking today, the Red Sox are suddenly in the market for a left-handed first baseman to platoon with Mike Lowell. Boston GM Theo Epstein said that while the team is looking, a move won't come too quickly since the team first wants a chance to gauge Lowell's effectiveness, reports the Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin (via Twitter).

Carlos Delgado, who has been linked to Boston already, will be working out for the Red Sox "in the next couple of days," according to John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Delgado might be the most realistic option on the market given that the free agent slugger is available for a reasonable price and can be acquired without the hassle of the waiver wire. Tomase's Herald cohort Scott Lauber tweets along word from Delgado's agent that the veteran first baseman "would be thrilled" by any interest from the club.

Nate Taylor of the Boston Globe posits Casey Kotchman's name as another potential fit. Kotchman, who was dealt from Boston to Seattle for Bill Hall last January, has a .656 OPS in 296 plate appearances for the Mariners this season and just a .232/.300/.405 line against right-handers. Given Kotchman's struggles, his M's teammate Russell Branyan (and Branyan's .868 OPS against right-handers this season) might be the more attractive option for the Red Sox, though the club might have a difficult time picking Branyan up without another AL team putting in a claim first.

As for internal replacements for Youkilis, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports that Epstein didn't seem enthused about calling up Lars Anderson. "Right now, the things Lars is working on and the adjustments he's making, that type of work is best done at Triple-A," Epstein told MacPherson. Anderson, ranked as the 87th-best prospect in the game by Baseball America's preseason rankings, has not stood out at the Triple-A level this year, managing just a .740 OPS in 338 PA for Pawtucket.

The Red Sox placed last night's hero, Mike Lowell, on waivers, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Lowell, who returned from a rehab assignment yesterday and promptly homered on the first pitch he saw, will not necessarily be traded. Still, he will likely clear waivers since $3.9MM remains on his 2010 contract. That's much more than teams want to commit to an infielder with ongoing hip issues, despite last night's home run.

However, the move could be a prelude to a trade. Since Lowell is likely to clear waivers, the Red Sox will presumably have the option to trade him to any MLB team. We'll know within a couple days whether a team claims Lowell and if no club makes a claim, the Red Sox will be free to deal.

At this point, Kevin Youkilis is hurt, so Lowell is a valuable piece for the banged-up Red Sox. If Youkilis returns to form and David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre are still healthy and hitting, the Red Sox could consider dealing Lowell. The Yankees, Rangers, Angels, Twins, Tigers and Blue Jays are among the teams that have reportedly shown interest in Lowell this year.

The Yankees, Rangers, and Red Sox nearly reached a deal on Friday that would've sent Mike Lowell to New York, Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Boston, and prospects to the Rangers, reports WEEI's Alex Speier. A Lowell deal with the Blue Jays had been discussed in April and June, but both potential trades were killed due to health concerns.

Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told the AP that Don Wakamatsu is the team's manager for the foreseeable future. "We are trying to win baseball games with Don running the ship," Zduriencik said (link at CBS Sports).

The Red Sox told Lowell they won't release him, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (via Twitter). Speier notes that the Yankees were on Lowell's no-trade list (Twitter link).

Yahoo's Jeff Passan explains how Barret Loux is a casualty of the rule that guarantees teams a future pick if they fail to sign their first rounder. The D'Backs first rounder has an uncertain future after a failed physical.

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo shows how some prospects have performed since switching organizations before the July 31st trade deadline.

On this date in 2001, the Cardinals acquired Woody Williams from the Padres for Ray Lankford. Lankford was useful for the rest of that season, but Williams went on to have an excellent Cardinals career. Links for Monday…

Yunesky Maya tells Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (Spanish link) that he has been training hard and "in about three weeks" the Nationals can save him a spot on the roster (translation courtesy of Nick Collias). Earlier today the Nats confirmed that they have inked the 28-year-old hurler to a four-year deal.

Major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that a three-way trade was discussed in whichMike Lowell could have landed with the Yankees. In the discussed deal, the Red Sox would have sent Lowell to the Rangers, who would then send the veteran to the Yankees.

The Astros wanted Chad Billingsley in exchange for Roy Oswalt, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (Twitter link). The Dodgers countered with a four-prospect offer, but the Astros preferred the Phils' offer.

The Royals aren't making much progress on deals, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter link).

I answered questions from Neil Keefe and broke down the trade deadline in detail at WFAN.com.

Agent Bean Stringfellow told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Blue Jays are not currently discussing an extension with Jose Bautista. It’s not at all surprising given how much else the Blue Jays have to sort out this week. Bautista said on the FAN 590 today that he would listen if the Blue Jays approached him with a multi-year deal after the season.

The Cardinals are not interested in Clint Barmes, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter).

Brett Myers is untouchable, a source tells Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). With respect to Justice and his source, it seems unfathomable that a 41-59 team wouldn't listen to offers on a player who can walk at the end of the season.

Kyle Farnsworth is available to manager Ned Yost (and GMs around the league) after leaving yesterday's game with a hamstring cramp, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).

Trevor Hoffman can veto deals to 25 MLB teams, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The all-time saves leader and his $7.5MM salary would likely clear waivers, so interested teams will probably be able to pursue him in August.

Maybe the Tigers and Rangers want to re-think their respective stances on Mike Lowell. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston reported yesterday that the two clubs were losing interest in the Red Sox infielder, but Lowell homered three times in a rehab game for the Pawtucket Red Sox tonight. The Rangers are in onJorge Cantu and others, while the Tigers may not add a bat this week, but Lowell is doing all he can to restore his trade value and his hip to full health. Here are the rest of tonight's Red Sox rumors:

The Red Sox have yet to begin negotiations with supplemental rounder Anthony Ranaudo, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Experts considered the righty one of the top arms in this year's draft, but his stock dropped due to forearm issues. Ranaudo proved his value with a standout performance in the Cape Cod League this summer, but he and agent Scott Boras have yet to begin negotiating with the Red Sox.

David Ortiz told WEEI's Big Show that he wants to re-sign in Boston after the season, but not just on a one-year deal. Designated hitters Hideki Matsui and Vladimir Guerrero signed one-year deals last winter, but Ortiz doesn't believe they're great comps for him. Big Papi would prefer the security of a multi-year deal, but he won't have complete say in the matter; the Red Sox hold a $12.5MM option for his services in 2011.